Culpepper v. Lloyds America

140 S.W.2d 330
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 31, 1940
DocketNo. 10717
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 140 S.W.2d 330 (Culpepper v. Lloyds America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Culpepper v. Lloyds America, 140 S.W.2d 330 (Tex. Ct. App. 1940).

Opinion

NORVELL, Justice.

This is a Workmen’s Compensation case, brought by appellant, Culpepper, against appellee, Lloyds America, as an appeal from the award of the Industrial Accident Board.

The case was tried to a jury and from an adverse judgment rendered upon the jury’s verdict Culpepper has appealed to this Court.

Appellant presents the contention that this case must be reversed because of the action of appellee’s counsel in attempting to develop the fact that Culpepper was convicted of a felony which did not involve moral turpitude, by means of cross-examination in the presence of the jury.

Appellee contends that “the proper rule which the courts of this State should follow is, * * * that a witness in a civil case may be impeached by a showing of his conviction of any felony, or his conviction of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.” It is further contended that the particular crime of which Culpepper was convicted did involve moral turpitude.

It appears that sometime during the trial, in the absence of the jury, Culpepper’s attorney stated to the trial' court that his client had been convicted under the Dean Act of the offense of unlawfully manufacturing intoxicating liquor, and contended that such conviction was inadmissible in evidence. Appellant thereupon requested the trial judge to then, and there instruct appellee’s counsel not to interrogate Cul-pepper concerning his conviction and incarceration in the penitentiary. Appellee’s counsel insisted that he be permitted" to develop the matter before the jury, asserting that such conviction was admissible in evidence. The trial court declined to give the requested instruction in advance, on the ground that he could not then anticipate what questions would be put to appellant by appellee’s counsel.

Thereafter, in the presence of the jury, and while appellant “was testifying he was asked the question as to how long he had been in the penitentiary and gave the answer ‘One year — I stayed in the penitentiary five months and twenty days,’ the question was asked and the answer given by the witness before counsel for plaintiff (appellant), made objection at the time,, and objection was made to such testimony immediately after the answer was given.” The jury was retired and “then for the first time (other than by statement of counsel), it was made to appear to the court by official records that the incarceration of Culpepper in the penitentiary had been for a Liquor Law violation and the court, upon such showing being made, being of the opinion that the same was not admissible, thereupon called in the jury and then (upon motion of appellant’s counsel) gave the jury the following instruction, viz:

“ ‘Gentlemen, the question that was asked the witness just before your retirement, and his answer thereto, in regard to con[332]*332finement in the penitentiary, you will disregard for any purpose whatever. You will not consider it at all.’ ”

Under the view we take of the case, it is unnecessary for us to decide whether a “Liquor Law violation” involves moral turpitude, or whether evidence of conviction thereunder was admissible in this case. We do say, however, that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion, in the circumstances presented, by refusing to instruct appellee’s counsel, in advance, to refrain, in the course of the ensuing trial, from interrogating appellant concerning his previous conviction of a felony. 3 Tex.Jur. 1079; 41 Tex.Jur. 720; Missouri K. & T. Ry. v. Johnson, 95 Tex. 409, 67 S.W. 768.

The propriety of the proceeding in which appellant was asked, and volunteered an incriminating answer, concerning his conviction and servitude, must be tested by the record made at the time. Appellant was asked “as to how long he had been in 'the penitentiary,” and volunteered the answer, “one year — I stayed in the penitentiary five months and twenty days.” Appellant’s counsel made no objection to the question before it was answered. The record does not indicate, nor may we assume, that appellant answered before his counsel had time to object to the question; the record being silent the contrary will be assumed. The record simply shows the bald fact that upon inquiry from adverse counsel appellant voluntarily told the jury of his prison experience, whereupon, and not until then, his own counsel objected. The jury was thereupon retired. It was then disclosed to the trial judge, for the first time from official record, that the conviction was for a liquor law violation. The trial judge concluded that evidence of such conviction was inadmissible, and recalling the jury instructed them, in response to appellant’s motion, to disregard the question and answer “for any purpose whatever,” and “not consider it at all.” We are of the opinion that in view of this emphatic admonition from the trial judge in response to appellant’s belated objection and motion, coupled with the fact that the answer now complained of was an apparently deliberate and certainly voluntary emanation from appellant’s own mouth, the transaction does not present reversible error. 41 Tex.Jur. 905; Norwich Union Ind. Co. v. Wilson, Tex.Civ.App. 43 S.W.2d 473, Id., Tex.Com.App., 67 S.W.2d 225.

These conclusions narrow the inquiry to the contention of appellant that the mere asking of the question of appellant as to his conviction or servitude constituted such error that nothing that transpired could remedy it; that (in effect) the idea of a prison experience was thrust so deeply into the consciousness of the jury by this question that it rendered that jury unfit, or disqualified, to pass fairly upon appellant’s case. We are unable to adopt this contention, after much consideration of appellant’s able presentation of the point.

Cases involving the introduction of improper testimony under an erroneous ruling of the trial court are not in point. The members of this Court are not entirely satisfied that the question was improper, but assuming although not deciding that the question should not have been asked, it is well settled that ordinarily the mere propounding of an improper question does not necessitate the reversal of a judgment, for, “if cases were reversed because improper questions were propounded * * * but few judgments would' be affirmed.” Missouri Pac. Ry. Co. v. Mitchell, 72 Tex. 141, 10 S.W. 411, 413.

In the Mitchell case, supra, Chief Justice Stayton held that a case would not be reversed because of- the propounding of improper questions unless it appears that such “questions were propounded to witnesses, apparently to establish things that did not exist, and to which it was known the witness could not testify, or apparently to prove such things in a mode in which they could not be proved, with a view to make a false impression on the jury,” and “looking to the entire record there was reason to believe the jury had been influenced by such course” of conduct, which is characterized as being “reprehensible.” In other words, counsel must have been guilty of wilful misconduct and there must be reason to believe the jury was influenced thereby. See also 31 Tex.Jur. p. 27, § 24.

Applying the above rule to the facts of this case, we find the question was answered without objection; the jury was instructed to consider neither the question nor answer, and therefore the assigned error urged here is the action of the trial court in overruling the motion for new trial.

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140 S.W.2d 330, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/culpepper-v-lloyds-america-texapp-1940.